How is CBD an anti-fungal?
“…It’s interesting to note cannabidiol in the form of oil, popularly known as CBD oil, is a powerful anti-fungal. There was a study conducted in 2011 that showed the anti-fungal nature of CBD. Besides CBD, there are specific compounds in the Cannabis Sativa plant that act as anti-fungal agents. These compounds are cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabichromene (CBC). Much of the antifungal properties of CBD come from its atomic composition, which is one hydrogen and one oxygen atom. These compounds have an affinity towards other molecules that contain oxygen and undergo oxidation. When CBD oxidizes fungi cells, they are rendered incapable of growing and multiplying. This is because of the inhibition of ergosterol. The ability of CBD to oxidize fungi cells is what makes them powerful anti-fungal agents. CBD, CBG, and CBC are seen to attack fungi cells, which are essentially eukaryotic cells that have well-formed membranes protecting the nuclei. They kill the fungi cells by tearing down the cell membrane, which prevents ergosterol production—something that supplies food to these fungi cells. Once the supply of ergosterol stops, the fungi cells eventually die. The good news is that these compounds do their job without harming the surrounding healthy cells. But that’s not all the anti-fungal properties of CBD. These compounds are also capable of boosting the efficacy of other anti-fungal compounds, a potent one among them being caryophyllene oxide.